I bought a Publix at auction

Okay, so that's a slight exaggeration. I bought a few small parts from a local Publix supermarket at auction yesterday, and figured I should share.

Here's what a Publix looks like when you're picking up auction winnings instead of food:

And here's my extremely overstuffed Honda Element. Unboxing comes soon. 

I was thinking sweet, you can park a hundred or more project cars in there no problem.

The first photo reminds me of zombie movie/tv shows.  

I work in IT where we serve grocery stores exclusively, The first few times you go into an empty store to remove old lane equipment it's quite disconcerting. Even installing lanes in a brand new store when you look around and there is so much to do you wonder how will they ever get this done. There is SO MUCH that goes into those stores it's kind of amazing.

In reply to gunner (Forum Supporter) :

Yeah, it was pretty incredible seeing all the infrastructure underneath the store. 

Okay, let's start the unboxing:

Quantity various wet floor tents and holders

Price paid with fees and taxes: $2.64

These are, well, completely useless. But for less than $1 each, how could I say no? I have no idea what I'm going to do with these. 

Overall Rating: 9/10

kevinatfms said:

The first photo reminds me of zombie movie/tv shows.  

FO4, the Super-Duper Mart in Lexington

30" x 12" Aluminum meat platters, quantity 66

Price paid with fees and taxes: $41.47

I use trays like these to organize parts while I have a car apart, as well as to prep orders for shipment for Caliper Garage. And I'm used to paying a few bucks a piece for them. Not anymore! 

Did I need 66 of them? Uh, no. Actually, I needed maybe five. But now I'll have trays to last me for the rest of my life, as well as a few generations afterwards. 

Overall rating: 5/10

In reply to Tom Suddard :

Those meat trays look like underbody aero panels to me...

21" x 26" stainless steel equipment cart

Price paid with fees and taxes: $59.69

I love love love stainless steel benches, especially when they come with good wheels and are the perfect size to roll over next to a car on the lift. At $60 I think this one was a total steal, and it went cheap because the top is bent and a weld is broken. After 20 minutes with a hammer and a TIG welder, I'm pretty confident I'll have this looking like new. I can't quite find prices online, but I think Publix originally paid something like $600 for this table.

Overall rating: 10/10

And much like Walmarts and malls, when they close, the remaining building becomes a giant useless albatross around the community. 

20" x 25" Giles stainless steel cart with undershelf on casters with SS bin

Price paid with taxes and fees: $163.37

Okay, so I may have gotten a little carried away bidding on this one. Still, $160 isn't bad for something Publix paid nearly $1000 for. The shelf on the bottom has a few different positions, and the big metal bin has two pins that slot into the top so it doesn't slide around. 

Overall rating: 7/10

And finally, the last thing I bought:

48" x 18" x 73" metro max 4-tier rack No casters

Price paid with fees and taxes: $47.13

Sorry, but I don't have a photo of this assembled yet. I needed some more garage shelving, and this is way sturdier than anything else I could buy for $47. One downside: As proven by the label on the front, this is where Publix stored its frozen seafood... and it smells like it. This will need a serious bath before it spends any time near me.

Overall rating: 3/10

volvoclearinghouse said:

And much like Walmarts and malls, when they close, the remaining building becomes a giant useless albatross around the community. 

Fortunately they're remodeling this store, not abandoning.

Tom Suddard said:

As proven by the label on the front, this is where Publix stored its frozen seafood... and it smells like it. This will need a serious bath before it spends any time near me.

After washing, I'd recommend putting it out in the sun for a couple of days. Heat and UV should help to bake the funk out.

Nice score!

Kinda jealous of the trays.  I could use a half dozen or so for rebuilding small things.

And not even one lot of supplies from the bakery department for me. I see how it is. (jk)

In reply to obsolete :

They'll be super popular with the local raccoons.

Yeah a good portion of Tuesday was spent with Tom and I messaging back and forth making sure we weren't bidding against each other. I scored a few of those rolling racks, a new (to me) office desk, a ladder and a really cool looking parts cart. I lost out on a 16' sign that said MEAT, all of the hanging aisle markers, and the soup station, which went for a whopping $1.60. I was in for $.40, but quickly got priced out of contention. 

By the way, the checkout lanes—cabinets, conveyor belts, racks, everything—all went for between $.10 and $1.20. But in the end there's only somuch work I'm willing to do for an ironic bargain.

gunner (Forum Supporter) said:

I work in IT where we serve grocery stores exclusively, The first few times you go into an empty store to remove old lane equipment it's quite disconcerting. Even installing lanes in a brand new store when you look around and there is so much to do you wonder how will they ever get this done. There is SO MUCH that goes into those stores it's kind of amazing.

I used to design the electrical systems for supermarkets.  It's interesting how different companies have their own take on how they want their stores designed.  We usually worked off a prototype as a design guide. Granted, the company I worked for was usually the one who created the prototype.  I did a lot of remodel designs as well. Fun times. Long hours...

Looks like some good scores. 

I cannot read Publix and not mentally change it to Pubicx. I am a perennial 12 year old.

Which Publix is remodeling? 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

The one on Beville rd.

In reply to David S. Wallens :

How are you so out of the loop when Tom and 40 Cent-boy were focused on the auction for the whole day?  Ha.  

In reply to John Welsh :

Loop.

Me.

Sorta related, the magazines racks that we used in our booth for several years came from a fabric store that had either closed or was remodeling. Tim and I stopped for some Chinese food at a strip mall while en route to Mid-Ohio for the Runoffs and spied the racks by the curb. After eating, we grabbed them and threw them in the motorhome.